Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Summit
As part of the Minnesota Office of Higher Educations efforts to strengthen sexual violence prevention and response at Minnesota colleges, the agency hosts an annual Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Summit.
Date:
Tuesday June 3, 2025
Location:
St. Cloud State University Atwood Memorial Union
651 1st Avenue South
St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301
Topical Keynote Sessions: The sessions are engaging presentations by subject matter experts on topics of importance or interest. Please select one for reach timeframe listed in the schedule.
Roundtable Discussions: The roundtable discussions offer a chance to network with colleagues around the state and brainstorm innovative practices or ideas, discuss challenging situations or topics, and support each other in our work. Each roundtable will be moderated by a volunteer who will maintain discussion, record any general ideas, themes, or actions.
Breakout Sessions: Breakout sessions provide an opportunity to delve into a topic. These sessions are facilitated by a subject matter expert with an opportunity to engage with the facilitator and attendees.
June 3, 2024
- 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Registration (in person)
- 9:30 a.m. Welcome & Introductions
- 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Keynote (choose one)
- The Advisor Role in the Sexual Misconduct Process (virtual and in-person)
Session Description: This training is for postsecondary advisors and administrators of the sexual misconduct grievance process (Title IX or otherwise) on best practices serving as an advisor during a sexual misconduct grievance process in higher education. Topics to be covered include requirements of an advisor, serving as an effective support for a responding or reporting party, understanding institution’s policy and procedures, what is and is not an advisor, how to ask questions during a live-hearing or similar process, how to analyze credibility, by emphasizing consistent statements by your party and challenging inconsistencies by the other party, basic rules of decorum. - Prevention-focused World Café (virtual and in-person)
Session Description: Join colleagues from around the state in an interactive format to grapple with the question, “what are effective prevention strategies that dismantle or disrupt sexual misconduct on campus and how do we know the strategies are effective?” Participants should plan to bring 1 – 2 successful prevention programs, activities, or strategies to share with the group and the methods used to evaluate them.
- The Advisor Role in the Sexual Misconduct Process (virtual and in-person)
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. LUNCH & Roundtable Discussions (in-person only). In-person attendees will receive a complimentary lunch
- 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. Breakout Sessions
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students Using the Public Health Approach (virtual and in-person)
Session Description: Coming Soon!
M.A.R.C.H.'s New Meaning: Reflections from our Masculinity Programming Month (virtual and in-person) presented by Michael Chapman, Aurora Center at the University of Minnesota
Session Description: For the first time ever, The Aurora Center at the University of Minnesota created and launched M.A.R.C.H. (Masc. Allies Respecting Consent and Healthy Relationships Month) to complement Women’s History Month by engaging men and masculine-identifying individuals in meaningful conversations about reframing masculinity and becoming stronger allies to diverse communities. This innovative month-long initiative was designed to challenge traditional gender norms and foster a more inclusive understanding of masculinity, focusing on consent, healthy relationships, and allyship. With the collaboration of a dedicated student committee, strategic campus partnerships, and an intentional social media campaign, we successfully engaged over 400 students from various entry points. The program's success demonstrated not only the enthusiasm for such a space but also the potential to shift campus culture toward more positive and accountable masculinity. In this session, I will share key insights, challenges, and lessons learned from launching M.A.R.C.H. Additionally, I look forward to engaging with fellow educators to discuss the future of masculinity-related initiatives on campuses and beyond.
Learning Objectives:
Develop effective strategies to meet students at their current knowledge and comfort levels, ensuring masculinity programming is both relevant and relatable to diverse student experiences and backgrounds.
Analyze the advantages of establishing a student planning committee to guide event planning and programming, while simultaneously fostering meaningful professional development opportunities for students involved.
Acquire practical techniques for designing and executing targeted social media outreach campaigns that maximize engagement and support the delivery of impactful masculinity education programming.
Examine the critical importance of assessing program capacity to prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring that masculinity programming maintains its effectiveness and relevance to students.
Empowerment Self Defense Part 1 (virtual and in-person) Presented by the Aurora Center for Advocacy & Education staff, Chloe Vraney, Bronte Stewart, & Avery Bather
Empowerment Self Defense (ESD)is an evidence-based, risk-reduction sexual violence prevention program that promotes self-confidence, safety, and empowerment. Far from a traditional self-defense program, Aurora's ESD workshop teaches self-defense as self-care and self-advocacy. ESD offers a toolbox of skills and strategies including emotional regulation, environmental and self-awareness, verbal and physical boundary setting, de-escalation, assertiveness, and basic active resistance skills. This fun, interactive workshop is taught from an empowering, trauma-informed approach, where violence is never the fault of the victim and where everyone deserves access to strategies and communities that enhance their safety. ESD has proven to reduce rates of sexual violence as well as feelings of self-blame, guilt, and shame for survivors who participate. Part one will cover the research and approach and start to teach some of the foundational practices.???
- 2:45 – 3:00 p.m. BREAK
- 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Choose One Session
Empowerment Self Defense Part 2 Prerequisite: Empowerment Self Defense Part 1?(in-person only)
ESD Part 2 focuses on interactive activities that practice the tenets of ESD (description above).
Taking Action – Strategies for Addressing Artificial Intelligence Impact on Campus presented by Adam Dodge, EndTAB (virtual and in-person)
This action-oriented session provides higher education professionals with concrete strategies and frameworks to address the emerging challenges of AI in campus relationships and safety. Participants will gain practical tools to implement comprehensive approaches that protect students while fostering digital literacy and healthy relationship development. The presentation covers:
- Approaches for developing institutional policies addressing both AI relationship usage and potential abuse concerns
- Creating educational programming that promotes digital literacy, consent in AI interactions, and recognition of deepfakes and AI-generated content
- Identifying warning signs of unhealthy AI relationship patterns and AI-facilitated abuse
- Harm reduction models for victims of AI-powered abuse, including content removal assistance and digital safety planning
- Prevention strategies targeting specific threats like romance/financial scams, image-based abuse, and AI-powered stalking
- This session is specifically designed for institutional Leaders Title IX coordinators, student affairs professionals, campus prevention specialists, advocacy staff, and counseling center personnel who need actionable strategies to protect student wellbeing while navigating rapidly evolving AI technologies on campus.
- 4:00 – 4:45 p.m. Closing & Door Prizes
June 3 – 4, 2024
Location: Hybrid via Teams
In-person location: MN Office of Higher Education, 1450 Energy Park Drive St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
Topical Keynote Sessions: The sessions are engaging presentations by subject matter experts on topics of importance or interest. Please select one for reach timeframe listed in the schedule.
Roundtable Discussions: The roundtable discussions offer a chance to network with colleagues around the state and brainstorm innovative practices or ideas, discuss challenging situations or topics, and support each other in our work. Each roundtable will be moderated by a volunteer who will maintain discussion, record any general ideas, themes, or actions.
Day One June 3, 2024
- 8:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Registration (in person)
- 8:45 a.m. Virtual Welcome & Introductions
- 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Supporting Muslim Students through Prevention & Response Efforts by Heart to Grow (presenters virtual)
- 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. LUNCH BREAK (those attending in-person will have a complimentary boxed lunch)
- 11:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. Healing-Centered Engagement in Prevention & Response presented by Laura Livalska, Christina Holmgren, & Jayne Sommers (presenters in person)
- 1:45 - 2:00 p.m. BREAK
- 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. Online crimes, sexual extortion, and online harassment by BobbiJo Pazdernik, Special Agent in Charge, Predatory Crimes Section (presenters in person)
- 3:15 – 3:30 p.m. BREAK
- 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. BEST Comprehensive Approach to Campus Sexual Violence: Using Primary Prevention and Restorative Practices to Create Safe, Connected Campus Communities by Men as Peacemakers (presenters in person)
- 5:00 p.m. END OF DAY ONE
Day Two: June 4, 2024 (virtual only)
Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Roundtable Discussion Sessions
- 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Roundtable discussion on sessions from June 3rd
- 10:45a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Topical Roundtable Discussions
Breakout Presentations
- Case Studies - Credibility - Ballast
- Dismantling Anti-Fat Bias and Supporting Fat Survivors
- Implementing Humanity in the Title IX Complaint Process - Supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ People 101
- OHE Evidence and Credibility Presentation
- Intimate Partner Violence and Non-Fatal Strangulation
- The Title IX Tango - Anticipating Future Moves in Regulatory Requirements
- The Intersection Between Relationship Abuse and Sexual Violence
- Using Theatre to Address Issues
- Building Relationships with Key Campus Departments - Title IX and Accessibility Service
*Please note: Some files on this webpage are not ADA-compliant, but accessible files are available upon request. Please contact Melissa.Watschke@state.mn.us to request accommodation.